A note from Aryn:

12 years! It seems impossible that much time has passed, yet here we are 12 years in on Inspire(d) Magazine, and 12 years in on our mission to make the world a better place, one community at a time.

In fact, it’s through communities that this mission has the best chance to succeed. Building communities is one of the most important things we can do on this planet, whether it’s through a book club or civil leadership or neighborhood networks or… you name it.

To celebrate that, and our 12-year birthday, we’re once again highlighting awesome Community Builders this fall. Congratulations – and a huge thank you – to the 2019 Inspire(d) Community Builders: Luke Zahm (Viroqua, WI), Emily Kurash Casey (Winona, MN), Julie Shockey Trytten (Decorah, IA), Amanda Ninneman (Caledonia, MN), and Debra Lash(La Crosse, WI). We love telling stories of folks out there walking their talks, and these people are doing just that. Check them out starting on page 34.

Anniversaries and birthdays often make us think about what’s important in our lives, what we’ve learned over the past year, and what we want to accomplish in the years ahead. The biggest, most obvious truth that comes to the top of our list every year is that people are what matter, and all people matter. I recently read an article that said, “It’s not self care we need, it’s community care,” and I realized this is the phrase I was missing. Community care! We need to Show Up for each other, in big and small ways, because often when we most need help, self care isn’t a possibility. I put together an infographic with 12 Ways to Care for Your Community – hopefully it inspires you to do some (intentional) acts of kindness in your neck of the woods!

Like every fall, there is A LOT a lot of fun to be had around here. Like heading out to apple orchards! Read about how Al Peake of Peake Orchards got his start 40 years ago in this issue’s Sum of Your Business, and see our list of apple orchards in the region – there are way more than we knew! Will you check one (or three?!) out this fall?!

Speaking of places you can check out, consider putting mills on your list! Benji Nichols explores these historic buildings dotting riverbanks in the area, and the grains they once processed (or might still today).

And in that spirit of getting out and enjoying every last lovely day, we put together a fun Mid-Wisco Road Trip for this issue. Check out what Benji and I did on our adventure from Viroqua to Richland Center to Spring Green and beyond, starting on page 56.

Thank you so much for reading Inspire(d) Magazine all these years, and for being part of this amazing community. You guys are the best. Here’s to creating a bright future together!

Looking forward,

Aryn Henning Nichols

P.S. Please let us know if you’ve got a Community Builder you’d like to nominate for the Fall 2020 Inspire(d) – email me at aryn@iloveinspired.com.

P.P.S. Are you interested in writing for Inspire(d)? Shoot me an email! I’m on the lookout for experienced writers in the Driftless (extra bonus if you live in a place we don’t cover that often – we’d love to keep expanding our coverage).

The Summer 2019 Inspire(d) is here to help you Find the Magic! Inside, you’ll find:

A note from Aryn:

I still get excited about summer. The many years of childhood anticipation have instilled a sense of hope about this fleeting season, even as a – somewhat– adult 38-year-old.

I grew up in the country just outside of Frankville, Iowa (population 300ish). We had 20 acres of woods that I would run around all season long – I remember hearing the trees creak and groan while exploring on windy days, or flattening a blanket on the ground so I could sit and read by a stream. It all felt pretty magical.

My goal with this Inspire(d) is to bring those vibes to your (and our) lives this summer!

You can start off at a Highlandville Dance with Foot-Notes, a Decorah-based band that has been playing Scandinavian tunes (and more) across the area for nearly 30 years, especially for Highlandville Dances. A true summer institution here in Northeast Iowa, it is virtually impossible to leave a Highlandville Dance with a frown on your face! Read the history of how it all got started in Kristine Jepsen’s story on page 16.

After that, you might want to sit for a bit! There are few things more magical than being transported to another time/place/moment through storytelling. Check out Sara Walters piece on page 34 to learn about some excellent opportunities to hear stories and see shows at world-class theatres and events in the Driftless this summer. P.S. That amazing cover image? It’s from American Players Theatre in Spring Green, Wisconsin, and we are definitely putting it on our to-do list this summer!

Looking for a more in-depth adventure? How about glamping? We love how area entrepreneurs are thinking outside the box…er…walls to making some really fun and eclectic spots for folks to stay for the night (or longer!). Maggie Sonnek shares some options on page 54.

Still in the wilderness mood? Try foraging! I’ve pretty much only foraged for morel mushrooms, personally (and I bet I’m not the only one), so I especially loved Sara Friedl-Putnam’s interesting story about foraging in the region. You get to follow along on a walk with Elsa McCargar and Conor Murphy, who run the local business, The Wilder’s Way, plus hear about Decorah’s Peter Kraus’ approach to native plants and Driftless cuisine. Oh, and there’s a recipe for a Wild Salad! Fun!

Now this is the place where I write about how you’ve gotta to make time to stop and find the magic this summer. That is the goal, for sure – but life is busy! Remember, though: You’re making the story of your summer – and your life – right now. Today! Do your best to slow it down and enjoy it! You can find some tips for doing that in my infographic, “Find the Magic,” on page 25.

We’ve filled this Inspire(d) with fun and love and magic so hopefully you can fill your summer with the same.

Big thanks to all of our amazing readers and advertisers – now get out there!

A note from Aryn:

“This land is your land. This land is my land.” That Woodie Guthrie song was on a loop in my brain while I was making this magazine (you’re welcome for that!).

It’s a notion that weaves this whole issue together, from life across generations, to a sense of home, feelings of patriotism, and the important fact that we’ve got to take care of this land below our feet.

This land is your land, this land is my land… and we are all immigrants here together. Benji Nichols put together an amazing Community Feature about Westby, Wisconsin – it’s the story of the Norwegian immigrants who settled the town, and how Westby folks are working hard – together – to connect new opportunities with old traditions. It really gets to the heart of what we all should be doing in our hometowns: Moving forward with positivity (pg. 48).

We’ve got a new writer from Southeast Minnesota this issue: Maggie Sonnek (welcome, Maggie!). She tells us about the National Eagle Center in Wabasha, Minnesota, and how the town and one non-profit helped to save one of the most important symbols of America – the bald eagle (pg. 14).

Speaking of America, Sara Friedl-Putnam caught up with the filmmakers behind the States of America documentary project (pg. 20) – they’re highlighting one person per US state, and sharing one per month on their website, statesfilm.com. Sara also chatted with the three women featured from our corner of the world – Beth Rotto (Iowa), Kathy Christenson (Minnesota – coming soon to statesfilms.com), and Xong Xiong (Wisconsin).

One of the 10 Most Important Things we learned from our 10 years of making Inspire(d) Magazine (we outlined that in the Fall 2017 Inspire(d) Magazine) was that we’ve gotta take care of this earth. In honor of this, and Earth Day April 22, I put together some earth-loving ideas, plus an infographic on how to do what our family calls “Super Hero Walks” (pg. 32).

There’s nothing that makes me love the earth more than plants, and they’ve got a lot of them at K&K Gardens in Hawkeye, Iowa. Keith and Kelli have been running their garden business for more than two decades – all while working full-time jobs at their chosen professions! We loved interviewing Keith for this issue’s Sum of Your Business (pg. 41)!

Kristine Jepsen fills us in on the history of the Luren Singers as they celebrate their 150th anniversary, and the details on the upcoming Sangerfest (pg. 62).

What other awesome things will you find in this Inspire(d)? If you’re feeling a little Spring Fever, check out page 60 for some ideas to get out of the house this spring, and if you’re out of ideas for Mother’s Day presents, look no further than our Paper Project this issue – it’s a Mini Magazine (pg. 31 – templates coming here SOON)! Plus, our probit is an amazing couple from Wisconsin: Eleanor and Tip Bagstad.